Castaway Ganon
by shinobipopcorn
Summary: Exiled to a desert island as punishment for his crimes, Ganondorf prepares for a life of miserable solitude until he discovers a feral girl living on the island.
1. Isolation

A/N: This version of Marin is the same as in my Prisoner fic. So while she's based on the LA character (and actually this island is based on Koholint), she is closer to an OC than to canon Marin.

* * *

To say Ganondorf was angry was an understatement. He was currently bound at the wrists and ankles, with a worn out sack covering his head. The blind was mostly for humiliation's sake, since he knew exactly where he was headed. His last bid at trying to usurp power in Hyrule had been a dismal failure, and even his Gerudo countrymen had chosen to turn their back on him. That was how he ended up on this barge, sentenced to the heaviest of Hylian punishments short of execution. He was to be exiled, marooned on an island far from the land of Hyrule so that he may never torture them again.

They had been at sea for several weeks by his calculation, when he sensed the barge slowing. Several ship hands came to his cell and dragged him on deck, where they finally removed the sack. After grimacing from the light assaulting his eyes, Ganondorf surveyed the area and spotted a small island off in the distance.

"Your passage on my ship ends here, savage," the captain barked, and drew her blunderbuss. Pointing it straight between his eyes, she ordered her crew to untie Ganondorf's legs. "You may disembark via the plank."

"I'm glad I got to experience your excellent Sheikah hospitality in person, Captain Impazi" Ganondorf sneered, causing the captain to smack him over the nose with the gun barrel. "Aren't you gonna untie my hands?"

"Why would I want to do that?" the captain snarled, before swiftly kicking Ganondorf in the ribs, knocking him off balance and sending him toppling off into the water. She gave orders to set sail, and by the time Ganondorf surfaced, the barge was already pulling away. He had no choice but to swim towards the island.

It took a bit of thrashing, but he was able to maneuver his hands out from behind his back and kick his way towards the island, pausing to float every time he got winded. The Sheikah crew had purposely kept him starved and weak to keep him docile, so it seemed like he spent more time resting than he did swimming. By the time he reached the island, the sun was already high in the sky.

Ganondorf crawled ashore, and used his teeth to loosen the knot on his wrist binding. Thanks to his damp skin the ropes slid off with ease, so he quickly wiggled out of his soaked clothing and collapsed on the beach. Staring at the wispy clouds in the sky, he contemplated his new situation. _That long at sea means I'm probably halfway to Holodrum and the New Hyrule colonies_ , he thought. _Much too far to swim, and I doubt anyone would be stopping…_

After a short nap to regain some energy, Ganondorf rose and gathered his things. He threw on his breeches and shoes, skipping the shirt because of the heat and instead tying it around his waist. Looking around for the rope that bound his hands, which he intended to save in case it was needed, he was puzzled by some strange marks in the sand.

"Where's that rope? Don't tell me a crab dragged it away…" Upon closer inspection, he realized the marks were tracks. Tracks that strongly resembled footprints.

"Hey!" Ganondorf snapped his neck up and searched the area upon recognizing them, since they were far too small to be his own. "Is someone else here? Hello?" There was no answer, but he spotted the footprints leading away from the beach. Taking off after them, he followed them until the beach ended and the forest began. He thought he had lost the trail, until he sensed movement in one of the trees. He smacked the trunk with all his might, causing the limbs to shake and a startled creature to fall right into his grasp.

Ganondorf caught the rope thief as they fell from the tree, but nearly dropped them in surprise when he saw what he was holding. It was a young woman, barely twenty years old. She was beautiful- long, carrot colored hair, vibrant green eyes, a cute round face…

The girl started kicking and squirming, trying to escape Ganondorf's grip. He noticed the rope in her hand, and then realized that she wasn't wearing any clothing aside from a small loincloth. He averted his eyes immediately.

The girl used the opportunity to bite one of Ganondorf's fingers, distracting him just enough for her to wiggle out of his arms. Once her feet hit the ground she ran deeper into the forest, Ganondorf close behind.

"Hey, wait! Don't leave!" Ganondorf chased after her, but it was clear she knew her territory. They approached a cliff wall, and she slipped into a crevice too small for Ganondorf to follow. He cursed and sat against the wall, hoping she might come out.

"Heh, who would have thought there'd be someone else here?" he mumbled, staring off at the setting sun. "If you're listening, my name's Ganondorf. You can have the rope, sorry for startling you. I just thought it might come in handy for something since I have to start from scratch. I take it from your feral appearance, you've been here a while. Heheh, you might not even understand what I'm saying…"


	2. Cooperation

A/N: If you've read any of my previous stories, you may recall that I use Japanese to substitute for the Gerudo language. That makes another appearance here. There's no significance behind it, it just happens to be the only other language I know.

Also, the middle section of this chapter is a nod to one of my favorite childhood books, _Island of the Blue Dolphins_. It is an excellent YA book, I suggest you check it out. :3

* * *

Ganondorf woke the next morning, leaning against the rock wall. He looked around to see if the girl had come out, then got up and started scavenging for food. He had no luck finding any berries or nuts, so he grabbed a nearby branch, shaved it into a point with a rock, and headed over to the river looking for fish. He spotted a nice fat one, speared it, and was just about to dig in, when he heard a shriek from behind.

It was the feral girl, who ran up behind him and yanked the fish out of his hand.

"Hey! I'm going to eat that!"

She ignored his protest, and shoved the fish onto a small pike sticking out from the ground. He watched as she then took a piece of soft wood from a fallen tree, and carved a trough into it with a hard stick. Once the trough was finished, she piled up some leaves and brush at the base of the pike, and began rapidly scraping the stick against the soft wood. Before long, the brush caught on fire.

Ganondorf watched in amazement as the girl proudly started a campfire. She then stood and pointed at the fish, then to the fire, then to her mouth.

"Fish... fire... mouth? Are you saying I have to cook the fish before I eat it?

The girl stared at Ganondorf and repeated her motions, this time pointing to the river instead of to the fish. She turned to leave, when Ganondorf grabbed her hand.

"Wait, please!" He let go of her hand and raised his arms to show he wasn't going to harm her, then untied his shirt from his waist and handed it to her. "Here... for cover."

She looked at it, unsure of what he wanted her to do with it.

"May I?" He asked, and slipped it over her head. She squirmed, unhappy that her vision was taken away, until Ganondorf managed to coax her head through the collar. The shirt was practically a nightgown on her- it came down to her knees, and though it had been short sleeved on him, it was long on her.

The girl didn't like how it hindered her movement and made her warm, but she recognized how it would come in handy during the winter. So she accepted the gift and ran off.

"No, wait!" Ganondorf tried to stop her, but realized it would be a waste to chase after her. He was sure he'd see her again, after all she was apparently watching him since she felt it necessary to warn him about the fish. Instead he went back to the river and caught a few more, since he hadn't eaten in several days.

* * *

Once Ganondorf was sated, he began exploring the island looking for shelter. The beach seemed to be surrounded by forests, and it wasn't until he traveled inward for several miles that he came to open land. There was a small mountain range in the distance, likely the source of the river. He guessed that on the other side he would find the island's desert.

Choosing to stay near the forest, Ganondorf headed toward the mountains that connected with the trees. If he could find a cave, he would be better protected from the elements. Along the way, he picked up the howling of wolves. _Ah, so there are beasts on the island..._ He thought about them, wondering if he should capture one and domesticate it for hunting assistance. He thought it odd that they were prowling during the day, but ignored it.

Ganondorf was just reaching the edge of the cliffs, when the howling increased in intensity. Curious, he veered off his path and followed the noises until he found the pack. They were in a gulley below him, and had backed their prey against the cliff he was leaning over. He couldn't see what it was they had cornered, but whatever it was, it was putting up a fight. It snarled at the pack, causing the leader to inch forward.

Suddenly a spear jutted forward and grazed the leader's nose, startling Ganondorf. He leaned as far over the cliff as he could to see, and discovered the pack hadn't just cornered an animal. They had cornered the feral girl and an injured wolf pup. He grabbed his fishing spear and flung himself down from the cliff, landing atop the leader and impaling it. He then used what little magic he could muster to scare the rest of the pack away.

"Get out of here, you bastards!" he shouted, then turned to the girl. She was no longer wearing his shirt, so he could see a number of scrapes and gashes covering her arms, legs, and torso. He was alarmed but she didn't seem the least bit concerned, as she was completely absorbed in caring for the pup. She held it like an infant and rocked it back and forth, and removed part of her loincloth to wrap its injured leg. She didn't even seem to care that Ganondorf was there until he touched her shoulder.

"...Are you alright?"

The girl tensed up, and held the pup protectively to her chest as she scowled at him.

"Calm down, I'm not going to hurt you or the wolf. Let me check your injuries..."

"Graaah!" The girl swatted him away and pointed her spear at him as a warning, then made to leave. She held the pup close and started shuffling away, making no more than a few feet before Ganondorf swiftly scooped her up.

"Don't be so brave," he scolded, shifting her around so he could get a good look at her right leg. There was a deep bite wound, though thankfully only part of a wolf's jaw had made contact. "While you were playing mama bear, one of those wolves got your leg. What would you have done had I not been here? ...This looks like it's already infected. You need rest."

The girl began squirming, but this time Ganondorf was not having it. He let her know by using his full strength to hold her in place, and she immediately got the message. She stilled, and lowered her head like a trapped kitten.

"Alright. Now, I don't suppose you'd understand if I asked where your home was? Home?" The girl didn't respond, so Ganondorf tried to think how else to convey his meaning. "Geez... if I was back in the Valley, I'd just say _katei_ and be done with it..."

"Eh?" The girl looked up at Ganondorf, and suddenly her expression was softer as though she recognized something he said. Rocking the pup, she nodded and pointed northeast.

"You understood me? Well, no time to ponder." Ganondorf smiled, and headed in the direction the girl was pointing. They were coming close to the region where Ganondorf spent his first night. After a while they came to another river, and she pointed to a darker part of the forest on the other side. About a half mile inward, there was a cavern cleverly hidden in the brush.

"Amazing... I would have never thought to look for such a place in the forest," Ganondorf said as he took in her shelter. There was a little bit of natural light near the entrance, enough for him to see that she had erected several barriers to keep out wind and rain. Now that they had arrived, the girl started wiggling and managed to jump out of his arms. After wincing from her bad landing, she hobbled over to a large pit in the floor and began blowing on some red coals. After throwing in some kindling, she soon had a fire large enough to light the cavern.

Ganondorf watched the girl go over to some bedding in the corner, and realized that the wolf pup must have been her pet. There were little food bowls carved from wood, some chewing bones, and a makeshift collar laying beside the bedding. She quickly set about treating its injured paw, using magic plants and mushrooms to ward off infection. Ganondorf's shirt was laying atop the bedding, so she ripped off a piece to use as a bandage, and wrapped up the pup's paw.

As soon as she was finished, Ganondorf snuck up on her and slid the shirt over her head.

"Yargh!"

"No protesting, I'm not going to treat your leg without first preserving your modesty," he said. "Now, do you have any more of these magic plants? I hate to think you've wasted them all on that dog." Ganondorf picked up one of the used stems and waved it around, pointing to her leg and smiling. He frowned when he looked over at the pup, hoping to get the message across. It worked, though she was clearly annoyed at his opinion.

A basket hanging on the wall held an assortment of herbs and flowers with medicinal properties, so Ganondorf was able to make a paste to stave off infection. Once the girl's leg was cleaned and treated as best as he could, Ganondorf started thinking about how they ended up here. "So, you understood me when I said _katei_ , didn't you?"

The girl tilted her head, then motioned to everything around her.

"Yeah, that's right. What about _ohkami_?"

She smiled and patted her pup.

" _Onna_?"

She pointed to herself.

" _Otoko_."

This time she pointed to Ganondorf.

"Alright, explain to me how a feral Hylian can understand me when I speak the Gerudo language, but not when I use the common tongue," he growled, switching to Gerudo on the off chance she understood. She stared at the ground for a moment, before getting up and hobbling to the back of the cavern. She returned with a bundle, which she handed to him.

Ganondorf took it with some skepticism, until he realized it was a small book wrapped in rotted cloth. The book was a simple storybook, yet on the last page was a faded yet readable letter written in Hylian.

"'Whoever is reading this, please take care of my daughter. She's far too young to deserve this fate that has befallen us. We were headed for the New Hyrule colony, where hopefully the prejudices of the old world would be nonexistent. Whether she makes it there or not, please give her a chance at life. It was her father's dying wish that she escape the kind of life he lived, and it is my dying wish that she escape this life.'"

Ganondorf frowned, and was about to say something when he noticed the corner of the cover liner had been lifted. He pulled it back the rest of the way, and found another, secret message, this time written in Gerudo.

"'Please, my sister, if you're reading this, I implore you to protect her. Keep my daughter somewhere safe, and keep her out of the hands of the Hylians. I tried to honor my husband's wishes by taking her to New Hyrule, but I fear the ship's sinking was no accident. I lost Nikolai, I can not bear to lose my baby.' Nikolai...?! King Nikolai was your father?!"

Nikolai was considered a myth by most of the Gerudo. He was supposedly born halfway through the reign of the king before Ganondorf, which would mean that there were three kings born in the last two hundred years. The king before Ganondorf was vicious and surely would have had Nikolai killed in order to protect his reign, so it was said that Nikolai's mother spirited him away to safety in another realm.

Ganondorf stared the girl down. He was a student of history and knew the Nikolai story well, he was even one of the few who believed in it. If Nikolai grew up and had a daughter, she would be a Gerudo. The only thing Gerudo about this girl was her carrot colored hair. She had beautiful bronzed skin, but it was clearly from working in the sun all day. And her eyes... In all his years, he had never once seen a Gerudo with such vibrant green eyes.

"...Your mother wasn't Gerudo, was she?" he asked in his native tongue, giving up on using Hylian. She picked up on the word "mother", and bowed her head in sadness.

"Well, whatever she was, she certainly did a good job teaching you how to survive. I'll bet she was Ordonian or Terminan. You must have been awfully young when you were stranded here, do you remember how old you were?"

She pointed to the wall behind Ganondorf, which was covered with thousands of small tally marks. The first third or so of them were very faded, but he could tell that they were made by a different person than the rest of them. "One, two, three, four... there must be over five thousand marks here! If you made one a day, that means you've been here for almost fifteen years! You can't be more than nineteen or twenty years old, how did you survive?"

"...Mama." The girl pointed up to the ceiling, where a bottle of fairy dust and a pendant of Farore were hanging right above her bedding. Ganondorf recognized the symbols as Kokiri relics, and no one was more in tune with nature than the Kokiri and the Forest Sprites. Forest Sprites were thought to be extinct, but it was entirely possible that they simply chose not to reveal themselves to others. If Nikolai was hidden in the realm of the forest, he very well could have fallen in love and fathered a child with one of them. It would then make sense why she did not understand the Hylian language.

"Ah... Your mother must have been a child of the forest. That would explain how the two of you could survive on your own. Forgive me for calling you Hylian earlier, then." Ganondorf smiled, and looked back to the wall. "So you would have been about five when you came here, and ten when you lost her. Ten years alone... I'm so sorry."

The girl shrugged, and laid down beside her pup.

"...Do you have a name?"

She glanced over at Ganondorf, and furrowed her brow.

"My name is Ganondorf. What's your name?"

His question must have hit a sour spot, because she picked up one of the pup's bones and threw it at him, then turned and tucked herself into the corner. Ganondorf cursed, and tried to think what he did that caused such a reaction. But after a moment, he understood. _Oh, you poor thing... You've forgotten it, haven't you?_

Ganondorf then resolved that no matter what it took, he would help this feral girl recover her name.


	3. Observation

A/N: I decided that since Marin doesn't really speak, I would write her chapters in first person. That way we can see that she does kind of understand Gan, but at the same time she doesn't have the benefit of an education so she does things a little differently.

For example, she knows what a greeting is (greeting the day for example), but she doesn't really understand what kisses and hugs are. (But don't worry, Gan will fix that.) XD

* * *

I didn't remember falling asleep. In fact, my plan was to wait until _he_ fell asleep and then sneak away. So when I woke up and saw Fuzzy curled up beside me and gnawing on a fish, I knew something was wrong. I immediately sat up, but then realized I was tangled in this stupid thing that he put on me. I got myself out of it, then looked around.

 _He_ was gone. The fire was still going, and there was a new pile of wood next to it. Where did that come from? Fuzzy was next to me, and there were several small fish piled up in her bowl that had already been cooked. Fuzzy can't cook...

I decided to investigate. But when I tried to stand up, my leg screamed in pain. It looked swollen, and I needed my spear just to stay standing. But my good spear was gone! _He_ must have taken it! Grr... I crawled over to where I kept my old and broken tools, and took my blunted spear. I used it to stand and hobbled out of the cave, Fuzzy following behind me. At least her paw was better...

And there _he_ was, sitting on the ground next to a little fire, doing something with a bunch of rocks. There were fish cooking beside the fire... Hey, my spear!

"Ragh!"

He looked up from his rocks angry at first, but when he saw it was me, he started smiling. "Hey, what are you doing out of bed? And where's your shirt?" Shirt? Does he mean that thing? He came over and lifted me up like before, but this time he pushed some of my hair away from my face and pressed the side of his face against the side of my face.

"Good morning..."

I just stared at him.

"Heh, that was a light kiss. It's a greeting. Do you know what a greeting is?"

His greetings are odd. I nodded, but then tried to break free from his hold. I wanted my spear back!

"Oh no you don't." He carried me back inside, sat me down on my bed, then picked up the shirt thing and tried putting it back on me. I fought. Fuzzy barked. But he wouldn't give up.

"Stop fighting, it's for your own good! You need to wear the shirt!"

I don't want it!

"Your breasts are beautiful, but you need to cover up!"

...Eh? Is that what this is about? I stopped struggling and pointed at his uncovered chest, but he only laughed.

"I'm a man, I don't have breasts. You're a lady, and ladies like to preserve their modesty by only exposing themselves to their husbands."

I don't know what a modesty or what a husband is, but I do know I don't want to wear that shirt! I was perfectly fine before he came, why do I have to wear it now?

"...Well, I guess if you don't feel comfortable wearing it, I won't make you," he said, suddenly changing his mind. "I've been around Hylians too long... I would appreciate it though if you wore it when you slept. It will help keep you warm."

Okay, that was a little weird... Fuzzy realized the war was over and settled back into her breakfast, which reminded _him_ that he had fish still out by the fire. He ran out and brought them back in, keeping the burnt ones for himself and handing me the good ones.

"I woke up several hours ago, so I borrowed your tools and gathered some wood for your fire. Then I caught some fish for breakfast and made them outside, so the smell and the smoke wouldn't wake you. But the little mutt has a better nose than you or I, so she was up and begging before the first fish was done."

...I didn't expect him to do anything like this. I thought he would steal from me or try to hurt me, especially after he chased me that first night.

"Do you know if there are any faeries on this island?"

Faeries?

"I'd like to take a trip to the top of the mountain, to see if there might be a Great Faerie living there. Have you ever seen any faeries? It might save me time if I-"

I grabbed his hand, and shook my head. The mountain is a bad idea. I'm not very good at speaking, and can only say a handful of words. 'Mama', 'help', and 'no' are about it, but I tried my best to tell him why the mountain was dangerous.

"Dr...a..."

"Huh?"

"Dra...g..."

"...Dragon? There's a dragon atop the mountain?"

I nodded. "Mama."

"Oh no, did it kill your Mama?"

I demonstrated that it injured Mama, and pointed to the wall where she had marked the day she was hurt. She had gone exploring, and it hurt her when she got too close to its territory. I wasn't with her, or I probably would have been killed. She managed to hold on for another month afterward. I marked the day she died in black.

He suddenly grabbed me again, this time holding his hand behind my head and tucking his chin over my shoulder. He started rubbing my back, and it actually felt kinda comforting. It almost reminded me of-

"...I'll kill it for you."

I pushed back, and stared at him. I didn't hear him right...

"Just give me time to gather weapons, train, and recover my magic. And I will destroy it."

I don't know what he's thinking. He can't beat that dragon. I shook my head to protest, but he just smiled and kissed (is that the right word?) my forehead.

"Don't you worry. You're talking to Ganondorf, Bearer of the Triforce of Power. A little dragon is no match for me. But if you're worried, I'll take all the time I need to get ready. And that means we can also take all the time we want to get better acquainted. Okay?"

He wants to share resources, doesn't he? Well, I guess that wouldn't be so bad. He did help a lot when those wolves almost ate Fuzzy. And it might have taken me twice as long to get back home with my leg. He's pretty strong, large, good hunter...

I looked up at him and nodded in agreement. He smiled, then bent down and kissed me again, but this time quickly kissed my mouth instead of my forehead.

"I'm going back outside to work on my knives. You stay in here where it's cool, and eat your breakfast. When you're finished, just lay back down and rest. I want you keeping your weight off that leg."

I just watched him leave, and wondered if all men were like that.


	4. Infection

A/N:So here we have a chapter half Marin and half Ganon, because it was too short to post only Marin's part. Remember Marin's leg wound? Remember how Gan fixed it? Remember how Zelda is usually the one portrayed with healing magic instead of Ganon? ;)

(I realize this chapter makes Marin look weak and dependent on Gan. Don't worry she is still going to be feisty and march to her own tune, she just got sick is all. Let a girl cuddle every once in a while.)

* * *

I don't know why, but I got really tired in the middle of eating my fish. I had just woken up, so I shouldn't have been so tired. I thought it might have been because I wasn't doing anything, so I told myself I would ignore _him_ and go look for some sweetberries. But then I felt really hot, and I just fell over.

I scared Fuzzy, and she ran out of the cavern. Come back, Fuzzy...

...Next thing I knew I was laying in _his_ lap, and instead of being hot, I was really really cold. He had put the shirt thing on me again, and this time he took the long black things off his legs and put them on me. His hand was over my forehead, and it was glowing! Maybe I was asleep and just dreaming that, hands don't glow.

"Go back to sleep, love, I'll take care of you." He took his hand away, and it stopped glowing. He raised a bowl of water to my mouth, then huddled me closer. "Sorry about the clothes, but I need to keep you as warm as possible."

Warm? I raised my hand- he saw me and gently tried to stop me- and I pointed to the back part of the cavern where I kept my spare skins. He didn't seem to understand so I pointed again, and this time he got up to investigate. It helped that Fuzzy had gone over and yipped.

"Is something here? ...Oh!" He came back with my fur blanket, and immediately swaddled me up. "You're amazing, this will keep you toasty warm. You're so clever to have made it."

I looked at his hand, trying to see if I was imagining it glowing.

"Ah, you saw my hand shining, didn't you? I was trying to help you with some of my magic, but I'm afraid the gift of Din isn't meant for healing. I guess I didn't clean your wound out in time, and you got a nasty infection. But I had enough of my strength back to kill the germs."

I see. Saved me again... I rolled over and patted the bed beside me, hoping he would lay down. He did, so I shimmied closer and laid my head on his chest. He's soft, from the light and fluffy hair that starts near his collarbone and runs down past the cloth thingies he's wearing around his hips. But more than that he's warm, so nice and warm that I reached out and pulled myself as close to him as I could. So warm...

* * *

Ganondorf wrapped his arm around the poor girl's back as she huddled against him, still as cold as ice. Within seconds she had fallen asleep again, so he pulled up her fur pelt around her shoulders and held her close. He felt responsible for not healing her wound properly, and figured whatever survived the medicinal paste multiplied overnight and sapped her strength. Using his Triforce powers, he was able to kill the infection but couldn't undo the damage. She would have to heal like normal.

"Sleep well, little pumpkin..."

* * *

Ganondorf woke to a strange sensation, and looked down to find the wolf pup licking his fingers. "Wha...?" When the pup realized he was awake, she went over to her bowl and started wagging her tail.

"Go scavenge somewhere, it's not time to get up yet."

The pup didn't like that answer, so she picked up her bowl and brought it over to his hand.

"I said no, Fuzzball."

"...Fuzzy."

Ganondorf glanced down and saw that the girl was awake, and stretching her hand over his chest towards the pup. Fuzzy immediately responded and leapt up on Ganondorf's chest, settling in for a good scratching.

"Its name is Fuzzy?" he asked and she weakly nodded in response. He checked her temperature, and while she had warmed up significantly, she was still extremely pale. He needed to get some food in her right away. So he carefully slid out from under mommy and puppy, then knelt beside the bed.

"I'm going to get you some water and food. I'll bring you some fish for now, because they're quick and easy, but I have to go out looking for meat. Are there beasts in this forest?"

She nodded.

"Okay. I'm going to get you water now, I'll be right back. Stay in bed, okay?" Ganondorf took her water skin, and took off for the river after throwing a few more planks into her fire. It was early morning, and the sky was very overcast. _Unusual for an island climate_ , he thought, but it could explain why the girl was so sick. Back home, Gerudo girls always seemed to get sick whenever the desert was cold and cloudy.

Upon reaching the river, Ganondorf quickly speared a few fish and filled the water skin. He was just returning when he heard a familiar yet unexpected sound, and dove into some bushes for cover. Peeking through to investigate, his suspicions were confirmed- moblins.

"What the hell are moblins doing on this island?" he mumbled to himself, though he didn't stick around to find out. He quietly crawled out of the brush, then ran back to the cavern when he was safely out of hearing range.

Inside, the girl was peacefully tucked inside her blanket just as he left her, with Fuzzy curled up beside her. She opened her eyes and smiled when she heard Ganondorf approach.

"I'm back, Pumpkin, don't get up. I hope you don't mind me calling you that until I help you get your name back..." He quickly stuck the fish on sticks to cook, then helped her swallow some water. "Pumpkin, when I went down to the river, I saw some moblins."

The girl frowned, and hugged Fuzzy tightly.

"Did they hurt you in the past? Or hurt Fuzzy?" Ganondorf was able to discern from her motions that not only did the moblins hurt both of them at one time or another (the way she mumbled 'Fuzzy' and 'mama' made it obvious they made the pup an orphan), but they also stole from the girl whenever she hung things outside.

"I've decided, then," Ganondorf announced, after feeding the girl her breakfast. "Since you are in stable enough condition, I'm going back out for meat. And while I'm out, I think I'll stop and visit with our little friends. Oh, don't be worried. Moblins are my specialty."


	5. Protection

I feel a lot better, though there's still this fluttery feeling in my chest. It was there when I woke up, and again when _he_ touched my forehead to see how cold I was. It went away just after he left, but came back when he returned and gave me some water. Then when he said those moblins were back I felt really sick to my stomach, and probably would have vomited had I eaten anything. But he calmed me down, and fed me some fish. The fluttery feeling came back whenever he touched me...

I got scared when he said he was leaving to confront the moblins. They're mean, and they have long sticks make of stone and those terrible round things that flash and bang... But he said not to worry. He took my good weapons with him, and he can do that magic stuff, so he should be fine.

After a short nap, since he still wasn't back yet, I decided I would try to clean myself. I stood and walked as best I could to the back of the cavern, and pushed the boulder blocking the tunnel off to the side. I told Fuzzy to sit by the bed and wait, in case he got back before I did. She could then show him where I went.

In the back of my cavern, there's a tunnel that leads to a really nice place. Mama called it a 'hot spring', and said it's a very soothing place. Whoever used to live here made it look real nice, there are big pillars made out of stone all around the pool and somehow natural light from outside shines in even though it's underground. It's very comforting, and very safe.

I wiggled out of these clothes that he put on me, then sat down and unwrapped my leg. It was funny colors all around where the wolf bit me, and I could see a little hole where its fang stabbed down in. The bite marks all around the little hole were starting to heal from what they looked like before, and the skin was closing up. So I took the cloth it was wrapped with and rinsed it out in the pool, then gently wiped it over the wound. It really stung, but I knew it wouldn't sting as bad as dipping the whole leg in the water.

When that part was done I laid the cloth out to dry on some rocks, then turned around and sat down in the water while propping my injured foot up on the bank. It worked well enough, as I was able to lay back and dunk my hair under to wash out some of the dirt. I decided to lay there and enjoy the warm water, since I had been feeling very weak and cold.

I just hope he comes back unharmed...

* * *

Ganondorf gathered up all of his Pumpkin's weapons that would be useful, tucked his stone knives into his boots, and wrapped one of her spare leathers around his waist to make himself look more like a warrior and less like a man in undershorts.

The moblins were easy to find, they were practically crawling all over the forest. Ganondorf watched from afar before approaching. The moblins waddled around, occasionally hitting their spears against nearby trees and bushes, but stayed in little groups. Just as Ganondorf was getting ready to approach the main group, another moblin appeared and joined it. Ganondorf's eyes drew straight to the moblin's hand- he had a sword.

 _That sword's as good as mine._ Ganondorf stood from his perch and shouted, drawing the main group's attention. He stood still for a moment, waiting to see how the moblins would react. They went on alert at his shout, then mumbled in confusion for a bit when they identified the source. The one with the sword then barked out an order, and the rest began slowly surrounding Ganondorf.

"One, two, three... Looks like ten of you. Well, I have a spear and a hand axe," he said in the Hylian language. "Do you want me to wait until you get more guys?"

The sword moblin shouted and the others advanced, making Ganondorf smirk. He immediately shouted back for them to halt, _in their own language_. The moblins stopped in shock, while the sword moblin yelled that it had to be some kind of trick. A few moblins ignored Ganondorf and proceeded to attack, but he promptly skewered them.

"Halt means halt," he growled in their tongue, and kicked their corpses off his spear. Turning to the sword moblin, he bared his teeth in a nasty sneer. "Now, I know moblin ranks, and you are probably the one these fools take orders from."

"I not talking to any humans!" it sneered, and charged at Ganondorf. He was able to duck under its sword with only a scratch to the shoulder, and as a show of might sent a thunderbolt straight into its back. Once it was stunned, Ganondorf seized its sword and decapitated it. The rest of the moblins immediately dropped their weapons.

"Who is next in rank?" he hissed, and watched as a shorter moblin stumbled forward. "Very well. Tell me, why are you on this island?"

It made a glance to the others, as if it didn't understand. "...We live here?"

"Moblins aren't tropical, try again."

"Uhh... maybe Great Moblin know answer. Great Moblin know many things." The rest of the moblins nodded in agreement, and pointed toward the mountain.

"Great Moblin? Your leader, I suppose."

"Yes, smart leader. Great Moblin makes all our spears and bombs, and in return we bring him good things. Like the fur blankets the stupid human girl leaves outside."

Ganondorf suddenly erupted with rage, and impaled the moblin closest to him. The rest of the moblins shuddered and jumped back, and the short moblin gasped at the glow coming off the back of his hand.

"You...! Hand glow like symbol on mountain dragon's lair! You faerie!"

"I am no faerie. I am Ganondorf, Gerudo King and Bearer of the Triforce of Power." He then grabbed the short moblin and hoisted him up in the air by his neck, quite a feat since the moblin was only a little bit smaller than him. "I am giving you this warning. The girl you have been torturing is my mate. If you ever, and I mean EVER, come near her or steal from her again, I will eviscerate each and every one of you and leave you for the wolves to eat DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?!"

The surviving moblins all dropped to their knees and shook their heads in agreement, as the short moblin swore up and down that he would do as Ganondorf asked. Ganondorf dropped him, then collected the sword and several of their spears before leaving with the body of the moblin most recently killed. He wasn't fond of moblin meat, but it would do for now. He needed to return to the girl and make sure she was okay. He laughed at himself for calling her his mate, after all they just met. But the moblins didn't know that, and it painted a better picture. Though, the more he thought it over, the more he liked the idea. Ganondorf didn't have anything to give besides love and protection, but he decided he would court her.


	6. Confession

I was laying in the pool with my eyes closed, thinking about Mama. I tried really, really hard to remember what she used to call me. 'Pumpkin' is kind of cute, but I know that's not my name and I'd really like it if _he_ called me it instead! I remember Mama called me baby a lot, but that's not my name because that's a word. A baby is your offspring, just like I'm Mama's offspring. I wonder when I'll have a baby? Am I gonna have a baby now that _he's_ here...? No, that's silly, why am I thinking about this, you have to actually mate before having a baby...

"What a beautiful angel."

I threw open my eyes, and sure enough, he was there, in one piece! I must have been a little loopy from the hot water, because I sprung up out of the pool and jumped into his arms. The strangest part was his greeting, he caught me and then pushed our faces together. I think it was called a kiss? There must be different kinds of kisses because this one was a LOT different from the last ones. I was having trouble breathing, but it felt kinda good so I kept going as long as he did.

He finally let go, and I could breathe again, but I was still kinda giddy so I leaned my head on his shoulder. That's when I saw a nasty cut, and turned to him concerned.

"Oh, that. It's nothing, I just got scratched by a fool." He cupped my cheek, then started running his fingers through my hair. "I'm glad you're feeling well enough to walk around..."

Don't change the subject! I grabbed my bandage and used it to wash off his cut, while he just gazed around the room. "This room is amazing. It's an old faerie fountain, isn't it? And you're using it as a hot spring? So that's the secret to your beauty..." I made an angry pouty face at him, but he just laughed!

I tried to crawl away, since I didn't want to hobble in front of him, but I should have known that wasn't going to work. Not only did he snatch me up in an instant, but he also managed to get that shirt thing on me at the same time! Then he carried me back up to the cavern and sat me on the bed.

"Pumpkin, you're making it very hard for me, you know? I can't be a gentleman and court you properly when you jump naked into my arms and kiss me."

Well of course I was naked, I was in the bath. And court? What's a court?

"...You don't know what I mean by 'court', do you?" He sighed, then sat beside me and held my hand. "I like you, Pumpkin. I like you so much that... well... I want to be your mate."

He wants to... I bit my lip and ducked my head, so he wouldn't see how red I was. A mate. Why? Is it just because I'm the only other human here? Do I have a quality that would be advantageous for any offspring? What will I do if that big boat comes back for him? What if... what if I'm left alone again...?

"Hey, don't cry..."

I'm crying? He lifted my chin up, and wiped off my cheeks with his thumb.

"Are you worried I'm going to leave you? I wouldn't think of it." He leaned in and softly kissed my cheek, then pulled me into a hug. "You're already a princess, but I'll treat you like a queen. I'll protect you, I'll hold you when you're scared, I'll comfort you when you're ill, and I'll give you whatever I can. When the time comes if you wish, I'll even give you a child."

R-really? He'll stay with me that long? And he'll have a family with me when I'm ready to mate? Oh, this is wonderful! I hugged him back, then motioned for Fuzzy to come over and hug him too. She licked his face, which I don't think he liked, so I kissed his nose in return.

"Hey you two, you're getting me all slobbery!" He took Fuzzy and sat her down on the ground, then slid a hand behind my back and leaned me down so I was laying on the bed. "Now, let me show you how to kiss someone you love."

The kiss he gave me was indescribable. His lips against mine were warm and almost spicy, his tongue was soft and explored everywhere it could reach. My hands were wrapped around his neck and buried in his hair the whole time, but his hands were roaming all over me. At some point they had found their way up under the shirt, and were now rubbing over my breasts. It felt amazing, and I couldn't explain why. But when I moaned, he stopped.

"...I'd better finish dressing that meat I brought back before it goes bad," he mumbled, his lips still dangerously close to mine. Now that I know what kissing is, I want more, darn it! But I understood, there's work to do. So I sat up and pointed over to my "kitchen area", where I kept my food stores and gutting tools. He got up and went over.

"Is this framework for drying meat? And what is..." He went silent as soon as he picked up my Mama's tool bag. I remember her saying she was glad she grabbed it before we had to abandon the ship that brought us here. Inside are some really helpful things.

"Pumpkin... Oh, Pumpkin, this is unbelievable! You have a knife and scissors, a scalpel, sewing needles, pliers..."

"Mama." I pointed to the charm above my bed, and he smiled. He came back over and rewrapped my leg, then gathered up the meat racks and tool bag and headed outside, with Fuzzy trotting along (probably hoping for a sample). I just laid on my bed and grinned, because I just couldn't believe how lucky I was. This time last week I cried myself to sleep because my day's hunt had been stolen by moblins. But now I have someone to help fight them off, and to protect me. And we're gonna be a family, me and Fuzzy and Ganondorf.


	7. Rage

Ganondorf woke bright and early, a pattern he had fallen into over the last few weeks. It was easiest to hunt in the morning, especially now that the moblins had vacated the area. He hadn't confronted the Great Moblin yet, but the lesser moblins were too afraid to stick around. All the better for him, since he didn't need to worry about an attack on the cave.

And the reason he was grateful there wouldn't be an attack shifted and snuggled closer to him, from her position tucked under his arm. His beautiful green eyed Pumpkin... She had recovered from her leg wound and infection rather quickly after getting some better nutrition, and started taking him on tours of the island.

During one of these tours, she had surprised Ganondorf by taking him to a beautiful waterfall pool deep in the inner forest. She explained that it was one of her favorite places, and wanted to share it with him. He was moved, and the place was so perfect that he could not contain himself any longer. That was how the two of them ended up making love for the first time.

Ganondorf smiled as he thought back to that day. Just as she took a liking to kissing, his Pumpkin enjoyed this new activity even more. But they both knew she wasn't ready for motherhood just yet, so they decided to save the special activity for special occasions. Or rather he decided, since whatever education she had told her the baby was already on its way and it was time to start preparing. That's how they ended up with an assortment of all kinds of small leathers and furs for swaddling clothes.

After sliding out of bed as delicately as possible so as not to wake her, Ganondorf dressed and pulled on his boots. His boots were holding up well but his pants had a number of rips, so he had given them up for her to use as sleepwear and instead fashioned himself a loincloth and waist cape. The sword he stole from the moblins came in handy for his hunts, as well as a bow he constructed using his Pumpkin's tools. Once his weapons were gathered he headed out, but not before setting out a bowl of dried meat for Fuzzy.

* * *

I heard him sneak out, he thinks I'm sleeping but I know when he leaves. I like to go hunting together... Oh well. I just rolled over and went back to sleep. When I woke back up it was morning morning (instead of not yet morning like when he goes out), so I got up and went outside to start working on our clothes. His funny little skirt is cute, but I want him to have something he can use that won't fall off.

I know I fought with him over the shirt thing when we first met, but... I really like Gan, and I know how much he tries, but the poor guy is lovestruck. I've been trying to talk more, and the other day I managed to say a little of his name. He tackled me and we ended up not sleeping at all that night. So to get to the point, I started wearing a little wrap around my chest. It covers me up so he's not tempted, and it's a lot less restricting than the shirt.

I also started making more blankets and some baby clothes, just in case a baby comes along. Now that we're mated, a baby is a real possibility. I kinda hope the baby won't come for a while, because I don't think I'm ready yet. I wanna spend more alone time with Gan before I have to raise my offspring. But at the same time, I want the baby to come because then I might be able to convince Gan not to go fight that dragon. Ugh, I hate that dragon...

"Ruff ruff ruff!"

Huh? Fuzzy is barking her head off at something, so I turn to look- Eek! Huge moblin... All I have with me is the knife out of Mama's tool bag... and if I run back inside the cavern, I'm cornered AND all my hard work will be stolen... No. Not again!

"Fuzzy... Gan!"

Fuzzy ran off, hopefully Gan was hunting in his normal area and is on the way back. The moblin's about thirty feet away, if I charge it, it will give me some time...

I ran at the moblin with my knife hidden in my hand, and shouted at it to hopefully confuse it. It growled but didn't make any moves, so I hurried and stuck my knife in its leg. That made it mad, and it backhanded me so hard I slammed into the cliff wall. I don't remember anything after that.

* * *

Ganondorf was just leaving the forest when he heard a commotion, and saw Fuzzy running toward him. "Fuzzy? What are you-"

"RAGH!"

Looking up ahead, he saw something horrible. A giant moblin slammed his Pumpkin into the cliff wall, then picked her up like she was a ragdoll. He dropped everything and fired off an arrow into its arm, then charged. The moblin let go of her in surprise and looked around for the source of the arrow, finding it when the angry seven foot tall Gerudo collided with it.

Ganondorf was furious. He didn't care who this moblin was, it was dead. As soon as he got to his feet, he grabbed his sword and moved to sever its head, but the creature rolled and only lost an arm instead. When it tried to stand, Ganondorf noticed a familiar knife sticking out of its leg. Using his magic, he drew it out and thrust it into the creature's other leg.

Stunned by the magical movements, the creature hesitated, giving Ganondorf an opening to thrust his sword through its midsection. As the creature lay on the ground incapacitated, Ganondorf interrogated it.

"Given your size and blatant disrespect for my warning, you must be the Great Moblin."

"Rot in hell, human."

"Why have you attacked my mate? And why are you moblins on this island?"

"You kill my troops, I kill dumb girl."

Ganondorf growled. It was dead the second he got what he wanted. "Why are you here?!"

"We serve master dragon. Master dragon kill all Koholinters. Master dragon give us control of forest in return for good servitude. Master dragon kill faerie woman, we kill faerie girl child when she get too close."

Thanks to the moblin weakness of blabbing, Ganondorf was starting to understand what was going on with this island. "So this island is called Koholint. Your master dragon is afraid of faeries, so that's why I haven't seen any around. And it mistook Pumpkin and her mother's Kokiri ancestry to mean that they were gifted with faerie magic, and killed her mother. You idiots were ordered to kill the baby, but had more fun terrorizing and stealing from her so you let her live. Gah!"

Tired of the moblin's foolishness, Ganondorf ended the ordeal by impaling his sword through its skull. Battle over, he rushed to his love's side and cradled her in his arms. She had a stream of blood running down her face, which Fuzzy had been trying to lick away. Her heart was beating and she was breathing, good signs though things still might be bad. He carefully carried her inside and laid her on the bed, supporting her neck and head.

"Please wake up soon, love..."


	8. Concussion

_"Don't cry, baby... Everything happens for a reason. You're strong, just like your Papa, so I know you'll survive. People lived here before, it's only a matter of time until they return. So until then, I need you to be as courageous a girl as I know you can be, okay? Farore will look out for you, and of course I will watch over you... I love you, my precious Mar-"_

"...in? ...Pumpkin? Oh please, wake up..."

Someone's holding my hand, and something warm is on my lap. My head hurts, everything feels foggy, and I can't...

"...Baby?"

Huh?

"Baby! Oh, please be okay... Say something, anything, please!"

Who's talking to me? I haven't even opened my eyes yet... I open them slowly, everything's blurry, but then a big gray and white blob starts nudging my chin. Oh yeah, my puppy...

"Fuzzy..."

"Yes, that's Fuzzy! She was very worried about you. We both were."

I look up at the guy talking to me. He's handsome. He leans in a little closer, and oh, I know him too...

"Gan..."

"Yes! My Pumpkin, I'm so sorry that monster hurt you..."

He leaned close and hugged me, a feeling I liked a lot. But what did he call me, Pumpkin? That's not my name. My name is... uh, it's...

 _I love you, my precious..._

"Marin!"

Gan leaned back with a start, I think I scared him when I yelled.

"Huh? Marin?"

I yelled again. "Marin!"

"Wait... did you remember your name? Is Marin your name?!"

I smiled at him because it hurt too much to nod. He grinned wide, then started pressing little kisses all over me. Fuzzy yipped and nuzzled against my hand for some scratches, while Gan moved his attention to my ear.

"Marin... A perfectly regal name for a perfectly regal girl... "

He nibbled on my ear, then resumed his light kisses up along the side of my head. I thought it was kinda weird, but I later realized he was checking where I got hurt. When I didn't cringe or anything from tenderness, he smoothed my hair out and sat back down beside me.

"You have a very bad concussion. That means your brain got knocked around inside your head, so you're going to be confused and weak for a while. You have to stay in bed, since your balance is going to be off. You also had a little cut on your head, but that's okay now." He then picked up my hand and laced our fingers together. "I'm very proud of you for standing up to that moblin. You are a fierce Gerudo warrior."

I smiled and squeezed his hand, then closed my eyes and drifted back to sleep.

* * *

It only took me a week to recover, though to be on the safe side I stayed inside and rested an extra week after that. I mostly worked on winter clothes for me and Gan, and of course some more for our baby just in case.

I also spent a lot of time playing with Fuzzy. When I found Fuzzy, she was so small I could pick her up and nuzzle her in my arms, and she slept right beside my head. Now she's gotten so big, if she sits in my lap, I can't see past her! I can barely carry her anymore, she's gotten so heavy... But at least her and Gan have developed a strong bond. They'll go hunting together, or he'll run with her up and down the river bank. She still acts like a puppy, though, and I suspect she'll do that for quite a while.

I'm very worried... Gan has been spending all his free time training to confront the dragon on top of the mountain. He told me what the moblin said after I recovered, how Mama and I were targeted because we are related to the faeries. Gan has recovered more weapons from the moblins and from ruins on the island, but I still don't think it's enough even with his special triforce powers. It makes me so scared that I get dizzy thinking about it.

"...Marin? Are you awake? I've brought you some celery and mushrooms I found while I was out. It's cooling down but the weather hasn't killed all the plants yet... I'm actually surprised this island even has a winter." He came over and sat beside me and Fuzzy, and kissed my cheek. "You know... I think I'm ready to confront the dragon."

I stood up and abruptly stomped away, down into the bath cavern. I ducked down in the corner so he wouldn't see me upset, but he knew. He came down and wrapped his arms around my shoulders, and sat his chin on top of my head.

"...I have to, Marin. One of these days, that dragon is going to realize the moblins never did what they were supposed to. I don't know why it's afraid of faeries, but if it thinks you're one of them, it will try to harm you. Or even worse, our children. I can't allow that to happen. It's better to face it now before they're born. And once it's gone, we can head out and search for the town where the residents of this island used to live. Someone obviously made this sword I found in the place with all the seashells. Don't you want to give birth somewhere safe and secure?"

"No! Home!" I turned around and pointed up the tunnel. I'm not having my baby in someone else's house, away from what I know! Besides, we're safe here, the dragon can't get inside the cavern. "No die..."

Gan scared me by suddenly laughing. "I have the Triforce of Power and am a skilled warrior; that dragon's been sitting around doing nothing for how many years. Plus I've been training non-stop for the last few months. It's probably only been eating for the winter. Trust me, Pumpkin, Ganondorf Dragmire does not lose."

...Then how'd you end up here, I wanted to ask him. But I know he's doing it for me, and for our future. I sighed and hugged him tight. "No hurt..."

"I don't plan on getting hurt. Besides, I've gotta come back and give you that baby you've been preparing for, right? Shall I try again now...?" Gan playfully pawed at my waist, but I just kinda leaned into his embrace.

I guess the sooner he goes, the sooner he'll return...


	9. Loneliness

Gan hasn't come back.

It's been almost a month. I need him. I'm going insane. Every night since he came here, we would sit up at night and he would teach me things, teach me new words and help me try to talk more. Since he's been gone it's been too quiet. I never realized how quiet it was before he came, how disturbing. I don't like it.

He needs to come back. There's something I need to tell him. Something important. Something I know he's been waiting for.

I... I can't wait any longer. What if he's hurt? Or worse, what if...? No. No, I'm going up to that mountain to look for him. I don't care how dangerous it is, or the new risk... I have to go.

It took me and Fuzzy several days to get to the top of the mountain. There were a number of caves, and I didn't know which way to go, so we ended up wandering around for several hours. But then I started seeing a lot of bones, so I just followed the piles that got bigger and bigger. Eventually we came to a big cave, surrounded by bones and old scales- a den.

With Fuzzy by my side I entered the dragon's den, holding my spear in front of me. After a while it got really hard to see, so I found a big stick and turned it into a torch. The cave is really big, and I don't know where to start...

I heard a noise off to the side and jumped, and Fuzzy started snarling. I quickly got behind her and readied my spear, just in case it attacked. Whatever it was shuffled closer, almost as though it were injured. I got ready to stab it, and Fuzzy got ready to pounce, when...

"...Fuzzy?"

I dropped my spear and torch. "GAN!" I ran over to him just as he collapsed, and hugged him tight. Fuzzy recognized him and calmed down, and even brought the torch over for some light. He was covered in scrapes and ashes, and he smelled like blood. I did the best I could to drag him out to the cave entrance, and used water from a little spring there to rinse the wounds off.

"Funny seeing you here..." He was awake as I worked, but I could tell he was a little foggy. But in the middle of my washing, he grabbed my arm and made me sit.

"Hey, hold on." He then just stared at me and smiled for a few minutes, before reaching out and patting my belly. "What's this?" He felt me for a few moments, then his eyes lit up. "No way, a little one already..."

"Heal now, belly later," I mumbled, wiggling out of his grip. It was hard for me to keep running back and forth, so I just tucked my arms under his shoulders, pulled him over to the source, and plopped him in. It was a shallow pool right inside the cave entrance, which seemed a little odd to me, but it worked. I knew it would sting, but he can handle it. What was nice though was that the water was warm, just like the spring pool in our home.

"Hssst... Ah, Baby, warn me next time you decide to throw a wounded man into hot water," Gan mumbled, as I knelt beside him and cleaned him off. The whole time though, he wouldn't take his hand off my tummy. If we weren't in the water right now I would wrap my cape around me so he couldn't see it!

I got mad. You were gone a whole month, Gan! Two weeks after you left I realized I was getting a little fatter. A week after that I figured out it wasn't fat, it was our baby. But you weren't here to celebrate with me! Then another week, I started having nightmares that you were dead! How could you take so long to come back...

"...Marin? Are you okay?"

I just fell over on top of him crying, kicking my feet in the water and sobbing like a little child. I think he figured out what the problem was, because he started rubbing my back and apologizing.

"Oh Baby, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to take so long... The damn thing was very tricky to kill, it kept using its magic to confuse me, then it broke my arm and I had to compensate... But it's dead now, and it can never hurt you or our baby again, okay? Pumpkin?"

I looked up from his chest and nodded, though I was still a teary mess. I glanced over to his right arm, it was laying limp in the water. I felt bad for not realizing it was broken, so I sat up to start gathering a splint.

That was when the pool lit up around us, and a faint hum filled the air. Fuzzy yelped and hid behind a large rock, just as a woman appeared above the pond. She was very pretty, with her green hair in two puffs on her head and then long down her back. As we watched her a set of glittery wings appeared behind her back, and that's when I knew what she was.

"Great Faerie," Gan mumbled in awe.

"Yes, and I owe you my gratitude for defeating that horrible dragon," she said, kneeling down beside us and inspecting Gan's injuries. "It came to this island and chased away or killed the inhabitants, because it wanted the island's resources all for itself. It sealed me away because I could have helped the people fight back against it."

"Yeah, we knew it was afraid of faeries. It killed Marin's mother because she was a child of the forest, and would have killed Marin had I not stopped it. It didn't know the difference."

"I'm so sorry about your mother," the Great Faerie said to me. "While I was sealed I still had the ability to communicate with the land, and I learned of your struggle from the forest. I was able to guide her to the cavern where you reside. Hopefully the old fountain has been of use to you?"

I nodded.

"Good, the waters there have a healing element to them. It's subtle, but comes in handy as I'm sure you've discovered." She then picked up Gan's arm. "Regarding this broken bone of yours, Lord Ganondorf, I can set it and ease your pain, but my magic is not yet recovered enough to fully heal it. I will ease your other wounds, however."

"I'd be honored," he answered, and let the Great Faerie tend to him. When she was finished splinting his arm, she turned to me.

"Now for you, Lady Marin... You're expecting your first child, aren't you? You will be an excellent mother. If you need any assistance during delivery, you need only call for me and I will appear at the pool in your cavern. Let me transport all of you back there now."

Once Fuzzy came out from her rock, we huddled together and the Great Faerie transported us home. We arrived next to the pool, Gan's gear and my cape piled up beside us. "If you ever need my assistance, please call me. Now that the dragon is gone, I will work on getting faeries back across the island."

"Thank you, Great Faerie," Gan said, and bowed as she faded away. Once she was gone, he immediately grabbed me and spun me around til I was dizzy.

"Unh..."

"Baby! Oh Baby, you're having a baby! Why didn't you say something before I left?! This is perfect, perfect! A little you... Oh..."

I have no idea what he said after that, it just sounded like mumbling. When he finally put me down, he started rubbing his face against my belly. I gave him about one minute of that before I just walked away up to the cavern. I've barely started growing the baby, and he's already this excited? What's gonna happen when I actually have the baby?

I plopped down on the bed exhausted, Fuzzy following me up and curling at my feet. Gan came up a few moments later, still smiling. Ugh, stop smiling, it's just a lump right now! "...No smile."

"Why not?" He inched closer, and finally sat down beside me. "You're so beautiful, and motherhood is such a special gift... Back home, girls always had to worry that their pregnancies wouldn't carry to term, either because of the harsh desert environment or the looming threat of war at any moment. Plus they had to work right up until delivery. You don't have to worry about any of that here, and you are free to rest as much as you want. Everything is perfect. You are perfect. That little bump is perfect. Even Fuzzy is perfect."

...I can't argue with that, Fuzzy is pretty perfect.


	10. Addition

Ganondorf smiled as he put the finishing touches on a crib. It was so much easier with the carpentry tools he recovered from Koholint Village. Marin had woven a bassinet, but he wasn't sure how quickly the baby would grow once she was born. He'd seen some Gerudo sprout from babe to toddler almost overnight, and wanted to be prepared. After all, she was due any day now...

Looking down towards the river, he spotted Marin rinsing some vegetables. She was adorable- she had her hair tied up high on her head, and since she had fallen asleep with it wet the night before, it fell down in lovely curls. She wore Ganondorf's shirt a lot nowadays, not just because it fit but because she didn't like him staring at her belly.

Marin was excited to become a mother, but she was very shy about the changes that had occurred to her body. She didn't like that she couldn't run or hunt as well as she used to, or that her breasts and feet had swollen. She took her anger out on the fish in the river or her basket weaving, and occasionally played some serious fetch with Fuzzy.

Ganondorf watched Marin work, admiring her, when she abruptly decided to return to the cavern. He turned back to his own work, thinking she had gone in to rest, when a few moments later he felt a tap on the shoulder. "...Pumpkin? I thought you were going to rest. I'm not ready for lunch yet, I'll come in a little later, okay?"

Marin frowned and shook her head, picking up his hand and motioning back to the cavern.

"Is something wrong?"

Sighing, she lifted up the hem of the shirt and showed him that it was damp.

"...Your shirt is wet. So...?"

Marin pursed her lips in annoyance. Just as she opened them to speak, however, she winced in pain. Ganondorf immediately understood, and scooped her into his arms.

"Why didn't you say your water broke?" he grumbled, running to the cavern. He smiled when he saw the little basket of vegetables inside, it was just like her to put them away first and not waste food even in the most serious of circumstances. He grabbed the bassinet sitting by the bed and rushed to the back of the cavern, confusing Fuzzy who had been napping in the corner.

Down by the faerie pool, Ganondorf had set up a second bed and gathered extra supplies. He hurried and carried Marin down to the pool, and laid her atop the bed. She whimpered and moaned in pain, so he used his magic to create some light.

"Okay Baby, I'm just going to look and see how far your womb has opened up, alright?" Ganondorf gently opened Marin's legs and started examining her, recoiling no more than a few seconds later. "Oh my Goddesses, I can feel her head! Why didn't you tell me you were this far?!"

"Unngh..." Marin winced in pain again, though she seemed to have acknowledged her instinctual need to push.

"Oh well, nothing to be done now." Ganondorf quickly undressed Marin, then picked her up and ran over to the pool. He softly sat her down in the water, and resumed his position at her feet. "We'll just do it this way, instead. My people have utilized water births in the past. It will ease your pain and make everything go smoother."

Marin found the warmth of the water extremely soothing, and it helped take some of the weight off her back. With Ganondorf's encouragement she was able to resume her pushing, and not thirty minutes later she delivered a healthy baby girl.

"Ha HA! Oh Marin, Marin! She's so adorable!" Ganondorf quickly severed the umbilical cord and cradled his newborn daughter, before turning and handing her to Marin. "Look at our baby girl! We have a baby girl!"

Despite her pain, Marin reached out and cradled her daughter against her chest. She was so happy to finally hold her baby girl. But after a few moments, she looked up at Ganondorf and realized something was wrong. She was still in as much pain as she was before, and didn't understand why. He immediately screamed for the Great Faerie as a precaution.

"What's wrong?! What is it?!" Ganondorf demanded as soon the Great Faerie arrived and examined Marin. "Why is my wife in pain?!"

"Calm down, Lord Ganondorf, everything is alright. You can help by holding your daughter," she instructed, and brushed her hand over Marin's stomach. After a few moments, she smiled and helped Marin sit up. "It seems we are not finished."

Ganondorf's eyes went wide as he held his daughter. "Not finished? You mean, _twins_?"

"And what a lucky mother you are, Lady Marin, to have carried two babies and yet kept such a beautiful figure," the Great Faerie praised, ignoring Ganondorf's stupefied expression. "Now, I need you to push for me..."

After an hour of pushing, baby number two was delivered safe and sound with nothing but the placenta left inside. "Baby..." Marin called for the child immediately, and rocked the little surprise in her arms. Two little babies instead of one...

"Another beauty," Ganondorf remarked, causing Marin to snicker.

"No, son."

"Son?!" The Gerudo king stumbled backward and landed on his rear in the water, but thankfully the Great Faerie had already taken the baby from him or she would have been soaked. "Are you telling me that I, a Gerudo male, have sired another Gerudo male? The so called 'unicorn species' of Hyrule?"

Marin held up their son so he could see. "Yes. Boy parts."

"Congratulations on the birth of your daughter and son," the Great Faerie exclaimed, holding back her own laughter. "I checked them both, they are exquisitely healthy babies. Have you names for them?"

"We only thought of one name, Elaan after Marin's mother," Ganondorf admitted, still shocked as could be. "I seriously never considered that I would have a son."

"...Cuin," Marin mumbled, rocking the little baby.

"Quinn?" the Great Faerie repeated as she passed Elaan to her mother.

"No, with a C. It's an old Gerudo superstition, never start a name with a Q," Ganondorf explained, scooting closer to his babies. "Elaan and Cuin... two little rascals..."

The Great Faerie watched Marin and Ganondorf cuddle with their children, and decided to make a silent exit. Before she left, she whispered an enchantment into the air and water to ease Marin's pain, and ensured that the air temperature was comfortable. She didn't want anything to disturb this lovely new family.


End file.
